Drink Tampa Bay is an ongoing series chronicling locally made beer and wine.

This week we got corrupted on Strawberry and Sweet Blueberry Wine made by Keel & Curley Winery in Plant City.

Strawberry Wine – 12%

Rusty: It smells like it’s stinky.

Rion: It smells like rubbing alcohol. No… nail polish remover.

Nicole: But strawberry-

Rusty: Yeah strawberry scented, or flavored nail polish. That’s a good sign.

Nicole: (Drinks) Ooof… it’s very sweet. Like lots of sugar in your wine.

Rion: It tastes like you melted a bunch of gummy bears, or if you left them in the car too long…

Nicole: And then you poured them into your wine.

Rusty: This tastes like the wine was probably too strong when they finished it, and then they balanced it out by adding a shit-ton of sugar to it.

Nicole: It’s drinkable as a… sugar drink.

Rion: It’d make for a nice base to a sangria. It leaves a burn in your throat…

Rusty: When you swallow it down. It’s just really fucking sweet… and I like sweet stuff.

Rion: Is it the sugar, or is it the strawberry?

Rusty: It’s the sugar.

Nicole: It’s the sugar. It tastes like sugar. It smells like strawberries, but it tastes like sugar.

Rusty: Yeah, it’s not quite a complete wine. It’s a swing and a miss.

Nicole: …but if it gets you really trashed…

Rion: If it were summer, and I was just at a picnic or something, this would be something fun to have.

Rusty: It’s not refreshing enough. It’s too syrupy.

Nicole: You might as well just get sno-cone syrup and drink that.

Rion: To me, it drinks like something refreshing. It’s very smooth, especially when it’s chilled.

Rusty: Because it’s so syrupy, it’s a little weighty to me.

Nicole: I don’t taste the word “crisp”. Maybe [drink this] with a dessert?

Rusty: That’s true… this isn’t described as a dessert wine, though.

Nicole: I think it could work as a dessert wine.

Rion: I think it could go nice with fruit, again: sangria. I mean, you wouldn’t even have to add sugar. A touch of cinnamon, maybe?

Nicole: Just throw some fruit in there, and you’re set to go!

Rion: You got yourself a summer sangria, care of Kenan and Kel.

Blueberry Wine – 12%

Rusty: It has a nice, dark…

Rion: It’s still watery. It’s not as thick as a merlot.

Rusty: It’s like a red to maroon, to slight purple tinge to it.

Nicole: Like a fruit juice.

Rusty: (Smells) Ooh, it smells a little earthy.

Nicole: Smells a little strong. Smells like a merlot or something.

Rion: Yeah it smells like it’s going to be a little bitter.

Nicole: (Drinks) That’s not bad. It like… spicy.

Rusty: It does have a little spice to it. That’s a lot better than the strawberry one, just because it’s not nearly as sweet.

Nicole: I like it. It’s good. It’s not super sweet. It’s not bitter.

Rion: It’s kind of like a middle ground. It’s almost on the verge of sweet, and on the verge of bitter.

Nicole: Very mild.

Rusty: It’s like drinking water!

Rion: It is very light.

Rusty: I like that kind of spicey…

Nicole: It’s like a mulled wine. Like a holiday treat.

Rusty: I could see this as a holiday wine!

Rion: (Reading label) …”Best served chilled”. WE DID IT WRONG!!!

Rusty: Oh shit. We just served it room temperature. But it kind of tastes like it should be…

Nicole: It’s not bad that way.

Rion: I could see this being very good chilled.

Rusty: This is much better [than the strawberry]. I would definitely try this again.

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Rusty: So… comparing and contrasting, I think we’re all pretty much in agreement, that the blueberry is actually worth drinking, whereas the strawberry…

Rion: The blueberry is the winner. But, even though you say you don’t want the blueberry to be sweeter, I could take it just a touch sweeter.

Nicole: I don’t think it needs it.

Rusty: I wouldn’t want it to be sweeter.

Rion: Just a touch. Not as sweet as this – my concoction. (Drinking both wines mixed together)

The Strawberry and Sweet Blueberry Wines from Keel & Curley are available on their website, and at Tampa Bay liquor and grocery stores.

Listen to the full discussion here:

 

Keel and Curley Winery is located at 5210 W Thonotosassa Road in Plant City.
Open Sunday through Tuesday 11am-7pm, and Friday and Saturday 10am-11pm.